Sei'an City
Sei'an City(pronounced ) )][http://jisho.org/kanji/details/安 Denshi Jisho's translation of "安" ( )][http://jisho.org/kanji/details/京 Denshi Jisho's translation of "京" ( )]}} is the capital city of Nippon, found in Ryoshima Coast. It is divided into two areas - the Commoners' Quarter and Aristocratic Quarter . These two quarters are connected by the Gojo Bridge. The city has a network of canals running through it, fed by the water source of Lake Beewa. Description Sei'an City lies in the center (or edge) of Lake Beewa, a large lake that lies in the bottom of a deep hollow, surrounded by a mountain range, separating it from other parts of Western Nippon as a natural defense. The only access to the city is a steep dirt path between two rock cliffs, leading down from a high ledge at Ryoshima Coast, so thus the elevation of Sei'an City would be lower than sea level. The city spans across the surface of lake Beewa, either by literally floating (which is highly not possible) or by large pillars staked down to the bottom of the lake and supporting the city's mass. The city's lowermost layer is a bed of rock, with a plug as a mean of channeling the water of lake Beewa into the city's canals. The majority of Sei'an City's citizen is the middle-class people who mainly live by commerce, blacksmith, ferry service, carpentry, etc. These middle-class people live in the Commoners' Quarter. Another part of Sei'an City's citizenry is the upper-class people (aristocrats, members of the imperial family, etc.), who live in the luxurious Aristocratic Quarter. Commoner's Quarter The first area of Sei'an City. There is an Origin Mirror near the city entrance, as well as a specialized Weapons Dealer and a Tool Merchant who buys and sells a wider range of items. As its name suggests, this area is populated by the city's commoners. Aristocratic Quarter This area is located past the Gojo Bridge. Rao's lecture hall must be entered to access the rest of the quarter, which contains several buildings including the two separate palaces of Queen Himiko and the Emperor (both palaces are inaccessible at first). This is the last location where Komuso can be found. A Mermaid spring can also be opened near the corner where Benkei eventually takes up fishing as a hobby. Obviously, this area is populated by upper class residents of the city. Story ''Ōkami'' When Amaterasu and Issun first came to Sei'an City, the canal network was dried up and the entire city was plagued by a thick green mist that sickened the population and caused many areas to be engulfed in small cursed zones. The Gojo Bridge was drawn up as a result, preventing access to the Aristocratic Quarter. Amaterasu solved the problem of the dried-up canal network first. With the help of the city's master carpenter, Naguri, she dug down and unplugged the blockage, flooding the canals with the water of Lake Beewa. Once this was done, the great swordsman Benkei was then met on the drawn-up bridge to the other half of Sei'an City. At his desire to catch a "living sword" (as well as promising to lower the bridge after doing so), Amaterasu bought him his long-cherished fishing rod, the Blinding Snow. After catching the "living sword" (which turns out to be a cutlass fish), Benkei held onto his promise and lowered the bridge. The green mist was not solved until Amaterasu returned from the Sunken Ship with the Lucky Mallet, which shrunk her down to Issun's size and enabled them both to enter the Imperial Palace, where the demon Blight had been using the Emperor himself as a vessel to spread the toxic mist. Defeating Blight freed the city from the fog and restored its citizens to health, as well as cleansing the city of the small cursed zones. ''Ōkamiden'' Sei'an City remaind largely unchanged except for a new building: a playhouse built by a group of actors led by the family of Tsuruya, Kiku and Kagu. Queen Himiko's palace had also been turned into a Miko training ground, led by Miko Cho. Chibiterasu arrived to find the city overrun with demons, and it was his job to rid the capital of their presence. It was in this quest that the existence of King Fury, as well as Akuro's schemes were unveiled. Sidequests Nursery Rhymes In the city, there are three little girls who will sing a nursery rhyme if listened to. Two of the girls are located in the Commoners' Quarter, to the far right, below Mr. Flower's house. The third is located in the Aristocratic Quarter, in the middle section, to the right. They are listed in the Ōkami Original Soundtrack as Nursery Rhyme I, Nursery Rhyme II, and Nursery Rhyme III. They are about the Northern Lands (Kamui), Oni Island, and the Water Dragon respectively). The singer of Nursery Rhyme III was the only one given a name, Okuni, while the other two were simply dubbed as "City Dweller". Each can be seen bouncing a ball before Amaterasu listens to them. Red Girl (Nursery Rhyme I) "The north wind blows and blows To the northern sky, evil goes The north wind blows and blows In the northern land, evil grows" Yellow Girl (Nursery Rhyme II) "The waves part and then we see A demon face across the sea Bringing monster in our midst The face draws closer in the mist" Okuni (Nursery Rhyme III) "In the ocean swims a mighty beast Tis he who keeps the sea at peace O, what magnificence we behold! In this Water Dragon, o so bold!" Gallery Sei common.jpg|Concept art of the Commoners' Quarter. Sei arist.jpg|Concept art of the Aristocratic Quarter. Trivia *Sei'an City's name in the original Japanese version of Ōkami, Seian-kyō, is a pun of Heian-kyō , the ancient name of the city of Kyōto, Japan. The in-game capital and the real-life city both share many characteristics, such as a more pronounced presence of Buddhism, proximity to Lake Beewa), and a palace as the house of royalty. The characters that make up ''Seian-kyō, as aforementioned, mean "western peace capital", which is further a pun on its real-life parallel: Kyōto was the western capital of Japan during the Heian Period (794-1185). *Sei'an City is the only human-inhabited location in all of Nippon that doesn't have an Ultimate Origin Mirror. References Category:Locations in Ōkami Category:Locations